Project number 2: maya human head model

# 1 19-03-2004 , 02:49 AM

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I am going to give a head model another try and see if I can get farther then I did on my multi patch nurbs attempt (see my post on my nurbs human model project of my newphew).

Click the link below to see the nurbs patch modeling project of my newphew I posted in a previous thread. (I stopped before completing this project as I need to develop more basic skills):

https://forum.simplymaya.com/showthre...threadid=10591

For this new project, I am going to try to document my approach in the hopes that folks can chime in on the method I am using and help me to refine the techniques as I stumble along. This project will use a combination of nurbs -> polygon -> subd.

To save space here at SM I'll try to keep the images for this one on my web page. Let me know if this works for you all. My web and html skills are pretty basic so if things are not updating correctly or look odd in any way please give me feedback so I can attempt to correct it.

Part 1 - creating a nurbs radial head shape using profile curves and nurbs surface loft. (click the link below)

https://home.comcast.net/~rmulawa/may...ject/index.htm

Part 2 - will hopefully contain lip, eyelid, and nose and possibly ear development.

Part 3 - converting to polygon and putting all the components back together into a single mesh and cleaning it all up.

Then on to project 3 - another head model but this time I am going to try the subd method from the book - Maya Character Animation by Jea-Jin Choi.

With the basic shapes created from these 2 projects (the head, mouth, nose and ear meshes) I should be able to jump start many future head modeling projects by reusing and reshaping these basic components!

Last edited by ctbram; 21-03-2004 at 05:07 PM.

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# 2 19-03-2004 , 07:57 AM

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did you start? I actually really like patch modeling

Alpha Gamma Sygma.

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# 3 19-03-2004 , 08:12 AM

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Yes, I have started. This project will not be nurbs start to finish. I am going to convert to polygon at some point and bring all the components back into a single sub-d mesh. That is the plan anyway.

Part 1 of the project (general head shaping) is the second link in the post above.

The first link is to my nurbs patch model project (currently on hold). I need to get some more modeling experience under my belt then I will go back to finish that model. It needs some re-thinking and re-working.

update: 3/20/04 ...working on the eye area. Having some trouble with the reference images in the eye area as they do not match so I have to make some freeform modeling adjustments. Should have the eye's done shortly. The nose will go faster. Then the lips. I'll probably post updates for each components rather the do them all as a single part 2.

I am trying very hard to document the process. Not so much as a tutorial but as a way of documenting my approach to solving the problem in the hopes I can get some feedback on ways of improving my work flow from the experts.

Cheers,
Rick

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 20-03-2004 at 06:23 PM.

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# 4 21-03-2004 , 05:51 AM

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update: 03/21/04

Sorry for the long delay between posts. I am being very methodical and trying to work out a method that I can use repeatedly to build good head models.

The eyes did not match very well in the front and side references. The eyes in the front view are significantly smaller and higher up then the eyes from the side view. I am going for a somewhat cartoony look, so I modeled the eyes oversized leaning more towards the eyes as drawn in the sideview rather then the smaller front view eyes.

I am helping my brother on a video project and working some other chores which is cutting into my modeling time.

But I wanted to post a status image of where I am in the modeling process.

The focus of the model up to here is:

- general head shape
- lips -> (4 patches across the top, 2 patches at the corner and only 2 patches needed for the bottom! and all are 4 patches deep.) I am quite pleased with the lip shape. The book suggests only 3 patches across the top of the lip but I found this gave me problems with not enough geometry for the cheek bone and eye areas so I added an additional patch.
- eyelids patches -> (8 patches across the top and 8 patches across the bottom and 3 patches deep (16x3 periodic surface). Focused mainly on the eyelid / eyeball interface and will work the brow area more after I have the nose modeled and see if it requires adjusting the eyelid patch.

Components:

- radial nurbs head (15 x 8)
- radial nurbs eyelids (16 x 3) (might be able to lower the 16 spans (8 top and 8 bottom) to something less).
- nurbs sphere eyeball

To do:

- model the nose (nurb patch)
- model the ear (nurbs patch)
- convert to polygon and combine all the nurbs components

I have been saving ALL the steps to create each piece and once I have the nose and ears completed I will post part 2 of the complete process on my web page.

Let me know what you think of the model so far.

PS - Keep in mind the eyelid area is a seperate nurbs patch and the crease around the edge will smooth out when I convert to polygons and combined with the other meshes. The brow needs further development and the model looks odd without a nose.

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Last edited by ctbram; 21-03-2004 at 05:14 PM.

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# 5 21-03-2004 , 06:24 AM

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and side and front views with lines on...

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Last edited by ctbram; 21-03-2004 at 04:43 PM.

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# 6 21-03-2004 , 07:22 AM

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you really have a very nice workflow..i normaly just start cutting around :-(

Alpha Gamma Sygma.

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# 7 24-03-2004 , 05:50 AM

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update:

- converted head, nose, eyelid nurbs meshes to polygons
- combined the eyelid area and the head
- tweaked the eyes, eyelids and forehead
- roughed out the nose shape

to do:

- attach the nose or extrude model one
- model the ear and attach (ears are tough to model)
- hair (hair is tedious to model)

I will probably extrude the nose from the poly mesh rather then attach the nurbs one in the image below.

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Last edited by ctbram; 24-03-2004 at 12:21 PM.

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# 8 24-03-2004 , 07:51 AM

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4 view - head combined - nose still seperate...

When I attach the nose and complete the ear and hair this will be the first complete head (ready for teeth and rigging) I have every done.

I have made lots of starts but never finished one. I think I have a work flow now that is stable and reliable. Once this one is done I'll do a female head and body and attempt a rig.

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Last edited by ctbram; 24-03-2004 at 01:18 PM.

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# 9 24-03-2004 , 02:51 PM

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Hi!

Great work. I think, the lips are pretty good. And the nose too.

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# 10 24-03-2004 , 06:16 PM

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Thanks! The nose is not attached yet so the edges will smooth up a bit.

The only reason the nose is not attached yet is I am dragging my feet on it because I know after the nose I have no choice but to work on the ear and I fear the ear! :grin:

More C & C please. I am a novice and I think I would like to focus on organic modeling for a while. I would appreciate any feed back on:

- workflow
- anatomical flaws
- flaws in the mesh that will affect rigging

be brutal, I have thick skin, feedback is the best way to improve ones skills.

As I said before a couple more head models then I am moving on to full bodies and then rigging. Going to wait until I have modeling and rigging understood before I move on to UV unwrapping and texture mapping. untangling UV's is mind numbingly boring and texture mapping requires painting skills which I do not possess.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 25-03-2004 at 03:20 AM.

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# 11 25-03-2004 , 04:43 AM

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I spoke to soon. The nose is turning out to be a real pain. the problem is I have this really nice clean geometry without the little tiny nose.

When I try to add the nose I end up with a bunch of hanging vertices that I have to create a whole rats nest of edges across my nice clean face geometry in order to prevent lots of n-sided polys.

I will need to do some research on where I went wrong in the face topology.

This learning by trial and error really is a drag. :sigh:

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

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# 12 25-03-2004 , 06:07 AM

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update:

- attached the nose (cleaned the geometry and happy with it now)

On the up side this is the farthest I have ever gotten on a unifed head model!

stats:
- 438 quads
- 0 triangles
- 0 n-polys

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Last edited by ctbram; 25-03-2004 at 07:42 PM.

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# 13 25-03-2004 , 06:08 AM

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4 view

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Last edited by ctbram; 25-03-2004 at 07:42 PM.

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# 14 26-03-2004 , 12:11 AM

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Test Render:

To Do:
- ears (complicated and scary)
- hair (tedius)

MM3 in the title means == Mastering Maya 3. This is the name of the book that I got the reference images from.

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Last edited by ctbram; 26-03-2004 at 02:03 AM.

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# 15 26-03-2004 , 05:41 AM

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Okay! I am now absolutely convinced that when god was creating man and women he outsourced the design of the ears to some government design agency!!!

How can every other component of the face be so elegant and simple in design while the evil ear is like edges and folds gone wild!

At the rate I am adding edges, I will have as many polygons in a single ear as I have in the complete head!

I have tried to follow a dozen ear tutorials online but unless you can actually watch a movie of the process it is simply impossible to understand from a series of photographs. In fact, if you want a real laugh get the book Maya Fundamentals and try to follow it.

I'll probably need a week to finish one ear!

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

Last edited by ctbram; 26-03-2004 at 07:57 AM.

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